Apparatus for drying sugar.



no. 694,767. Patented mar. 4, |902; F. MAHUDEAU. f APPARATUS FOR DRYING SUGAR.

(Application filed Jun. 4, 1901.; (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

Fatented Mar; 4, l902.

MAHouEAu.

APPARATUS F03 DRYING SUGAR.

(Applicmnn man Jan. 4;*1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

v@gwnmoe/:x 'indu/tlf, Mmgz @wwe/nto@ 'TLA glatt wud Y No. 694767. Patented Mar. 4, 1902.

F. MAHounEAu.

APPARATUS FRDRYING SUGAR.

3 Shets-Sheat 3.

(Application led Jan. 4, 19014) (No Modei.)

A NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v i

FREDERIC MAHCUDEAU, OE NEWy YORK, N. Y., AssioNOR 'ro THEAMERICA'N SUGAR REEINING COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. 'A CORPORATION or NEw JERSEY.

APPARATUS FORD'RYING suene.v

SPECIFIGATIQN formingrrpart of Letters Patent No. 694,767, dated1larclh 4 1902.

Application filed January'd, l9b1. :Serial No. 427,140. k(lilo model.) i I To @ZZ whom it may ooucernf d Be it known that I, FREDERIC MAHOUDEAU, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at New York city, county and State of New 5 York, have invented an Apparatus for Drying Sugar, of which the following is a specilication. Y `Y My invention relates vto apparatusfor drying sugars, although it may beY used for dryto ing other. bodies. f

The apparatus and method of operation heretofore made use of for drying sugars and such chamber, then after moving the body through the hottest portion of the chamber moving it upward at the rear of the chamber zo and causing it to traverse a Apath of lower temperature at the top of the furnace-chamber, and so out of the chamber. This practice has been found objectionable, owingjto the fact that the slowly-moving highly-heated currents of air at the bottom of the furnacecliamber do not readily separate the moisture from the bodies to be dried and that` such moisture as is separated in rising deposits upon or is reabsorbed by the bodies traversing the top of the furnacechamber and moving toward the outlet of the furnace-chamber. To overcome the objections stated, I have devised a construction and method of operation which involves theintroduction of the bodies to be dried into the upper portion of the furnace-chamber and to traverse vertical zones of gradually-increasing tempera` ture, then descend to the lower portion ofthe furnace-chamberand traverse zones of grad ually-decreasing temperature. The furnacechamber is arranged to have created within it at its upper part rapidlymoving air-currents of moderate but gradually-increasing temperature from without inward, which prac-` The object ofmy invention is to rapidly and eiectually-eliminate the moisture from sugar or other bodies.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate my invention.

, Figure l is a longitudinal section and elevation of the furnace-chamber, taken on the lineX X of Fig. 2. This view also shows an exhaust-blowerin elevation. Fig. 2 is an end view taken onlhe line YY of Fig. l looking 6o from the right. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the mechanism for carrying the baskets through the furnace-chamber and shifting the baskets from the upper trackway to the'lower track- Y way. Fig. 4 is a partial plan view showing but one basket.l

In the drawings, A represents the furnacechamber, which I prefer to construct as a long narrow chamber rectangular in section. The top of the chamber may be arched, asindicated at the dotted lines A', Fig. 2, or givenA any other suitable shape. Arranged 'within the chamber on suitable bracket-V supports B are the horizontal trackways C C'. These trackways occupy horizontal planes throughout the greater portion of their length and at the rear end of the furnace have their ends arranged concentrically for a portion of their length. The reareud of the trackway C is turned downward at O2 and the rear end of the trackway C turned upward, as at C8, a space being left between the trackways. Mounted at opposite ends of the'chamber are the shafts D,carrying at each end thesprocket- Wheels E E', over which are arranged the endless link chain F. The liuk chain F is provided upon its outer surface with the projections G. The wheels E at the rear of the furnace carry on ,the Outer side of their periphery projecting hook portions H. It will 'be Observed from the drawings that the link chain F has al movement parallel with the trackways C C and that in the rotation of the wheels E the projecting hook portions H are carried, when in the highest position, slightly above the top of the link chain.

I represents baskets by which the material to be dried is carried through the furnace; chamber. The baskets consist of a body portion J, preferably formed of perforated metal roo or wirelnetting J. Projecting 4upward from the basket are arms K, carrying horizontal bearings L, on Vwhich wheels M are loosely mounted.

N N represent openings in the front'of the f urnace-chamber through which the material' is introduced into the furnace-chamber and withdrawn therefrom; O, a source of heat in the bottom of the furnace-chamber. This source of heat I prefer to consist of a steamcoil arranged as shownthat is, nearer to the front end of the furnace-chamber than to the rear end, although I may extend the steam-' coil nearer to the rear end of the chamber than is shown in the drawings.

P represents an exhaust-blower having its draft-pipe Q connected to the interior of the furnace-chamber at the top and rear end. By this arrangement of heat and draft apparatus I am enabled to obtain a circulation of air substantially inthe direction indicated by the arrows R and to produce within the furnace along its upper part rapidly-moving aircurrents of gradually-increasin g temperature and along the bottom part slowly-moving aircurrents of grad ually-decreasing temperature.

In operating the furnace the baskets containing the material to be dried are'introduced through the opening N, with the wheels M upon the trackway C. The carriage is pushed forward until the projections G upon the links F iinpinge upon the bearings L, on which the wheels M are mounted, thus moving the carriages forward along the trackway C until the wheels E are reached. At this point the hook projections H move under the bearings L and support the carriage and basket as they are shifted downward to the trackway C', as indicated in Fig. 3. Here the projections G on the link chain again impinge upon the bearings L from behind and carry the carriages and baskets along the trackway C until the opening N of the furnace-chamber is reached. At this point the carriage and basket may be removed from 'the trackway C or diverted along an outside trackway. (Not shown.)

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. 'In a furnace for drying sugar or other bodies, the combination with a furnace-chamber closed at the top, open at the front for the ingress and egress ofthe material to be dried, and at the rear for the egress of the heated and moist air-currents, of a source of heat located at the bottom of the chamber and near to the forward end of the chamber, an eX- haust-blower communicating with the upper portion of the chamber at its rear end, and means for transporting the material to be dried first inwardly through the upper portion of the chamber, then downwardly within the chamber, andv then outwardly along the bottom of the chamber.

2. A furnace for drying sugar or other bodies, comprising a furnace-chamber, two

parallel trackways, a carriage adapted to move thereon, an endless chain moving parwheels at the end of` the trackways carrying projecting arms which support the carriage in its movement from the upper to the lower trackway.

3. A furnace for drying sugar or other bodies, comprising an open furnace-chamber, an exhaust-blower communicating with the upper portion of the rear end of the chamber, a pair of parallel trackways, a carriage supported on said trackways, means not permanently engaging with said carriage for moving said carriage, and means for shifting the carriage from the upper to the lower trackway.

4. In a furnace for drying sugar or other bodies, the combination with afurnace-chamber closed at the top, open at the front for the ingress and egress ofthe material to be dried, and at the rear for the egress of the heated and moist air currents, of a source of heat located at the bottom of the chamber and near to the forward end of the chamber, an exhaust-blower communicating with the upper portion of the furnace-chamber at its rear end, whereby zones of temperature are created in the furnace, increasing from without inward along the top of the furnace and decreasing from within outward along the bottom of the furnace.

5. A furnace for drying sugar or other bodies, comprising an open furnace-chamber, two trackways arranged parallel, said trackways horizontal over their major portion and concentric at their rear end, acarriage adapted to move on said traekways, means not permanently engaging with said carriage for moving said carriage, and means for guiding and supporting said carriage in passing from the upper trackway to the lower trackway and between the concentric portion of said trackways.

6. In a drying apparatus in which the upper and lower races or rails at the farthest end from the entrance side of the chamber form curved guides for the tray-Wheels to descend from the upper race to the lower one, chains revolving over chain wheels, said chains having on certain links fingers, and trays running on the said rails, said trays having Wheels, the axles of which project sidewise into the course of the said chains, to shift the trays through the chamber by said iingers striking against said axles.

7. In a drying apparatus in which the upper and lower races or rails form curved guides for the .tray-wheels to descend, said tray- Wheels having wheel-axles proj ectingv into the course of the endless traveling chains, said chains having fin gers at certain links to shift the trays along the rai1s,and the chain-wheels, having holders for carrying the tray-wheel axles in their downward movement from the upper rail-race to the lower one independently of the said fingers. f-

roo

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on said races, chains provided with driving S. The'combination of the upperand lower; driving projections arranged to engage the Y races or rails,whee1ed trays arranged to travel-l porting said chains and provided with retaining projections on which the carriersrest temporai-.ily `xinring their passage from the upper. race to the lower race. v t

Intestimony whereof I axmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

s FREDERIC' MAHOUDEAU.l W'itnesses: s l t projections arranged to engage the tray-wheel axles from behind, an d chain-.Wheels su p-Yl porting said chains and provided with retaining proj eotions on which the tray-wheel axles the upper race to the lower race. Y

9. The combination ofthe upperand lower Y races or rai1s,.trays or carriers arranged to travel on 4said races, chains proyided with A J. A. CAANAGH.

carriers from behind, and chain-Wheels sup-V J. E. PEARSON, Y .1 Y j 

